


Identically Adorable

by RedFive



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-03-12 13:34:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13548399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedFive/pseuds/RedFive
Summary: [COMPLETED] Hanni is on the prowl late one night when a sudden and unexpected thunderstorm forces him to take shelter alongside a small dog named William. William is rude, sullen, and indifferent and yet...unendingly interesting. This is a five times that WillPup was indifferent to HanniCat fic and the TWO times he wasn't.





	1. On a Cloudy Day

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [KKachi's](http://kkachi35.tumblr.com/) adorable characters HanniCat and WillPup. Check it out! You absolutely won't regret it! THEY ARE SO CUTE TOGETHER!
> 
> Updates on Wednesdays and Fridays with a brief hiatus for Red Dragon Con week, Feb 20th-26th.
> 
> Beta'ed by [wolftrapqueen](http://wolftrapqueen27.tumblr.com/). <3

Hanni did not wait for his human to fall asleep before quietly slipping out of the house. If he did that every night, he would _never_ find the time to hunt. Will Graham was a sweet-tempered insomniac with a looming deadline and a fifteen page editorial letter sitting on his desk demanding attention. No, if he waited for Will to go to bed, there would be no sleep for either of them tonight.

It worried Hanni; this constant workload, lack of sleep, and the pitiful diet Will subjected himself to day in and day out. Hanni owed Will his life after all, but beyond that, Will was special—a genuinely good and civil soul. It was rare to find those qualities among humans. Humans were rude, loud, and they smelled. Horribly!

But not Will. Will was purr-fect. If only there was more Hanni could do for him.

 _Maybe I'll bring him a nice fat heart,_ Hanni thought. Yes, that would do nicely. He would leave it tastefully by Will’s favorite coffee cup where he’d be sure to find his token of affection the next morning.

Now all he needed were the rats….

...

An hour later, Hanni had five kills to his name; however, _none_ of the hearts were large enough to be _exactly_ what he wanted. He turned his pink nose up in disgust at the disemboweled carcass at his feet, and caught a whiff of something he liked even less than his prey: rain.

Hanni ruffled his whiskers. He did not like rain. Rain brought mud, and it took forever to clean mud out of his sleek, white fur. He _needed_ to get home before he got caught in it, but he kept thinking of Will—home alone and troubled.

 _I will try once more,_ he decided. Surely there was enough time.

He walked to the next alley following the sound of a faint snuffling, which he hoped was a very large rat.

Alas, it was not. It was worse than that, FAR worse.

It was a dog, and a puppy from the look of it, _ugh._ The puppy was one of those small, toy breeds and was likely smaller still beneath all those chocolate curls. Hanni hated puppies almost as much as he hated humans. He was about to turn around when he heard a faint whisper between all the snuffling.

“Hannibal.”

The name drew Hanni’s interest. “Hannibal” was actually _his_ full name, although Will preferred to call him Hanni on a day-to-day basis (unless Hanni was being scolded for some nonsense reason.) And what Will preferred, _Hanni_ preferred too, so Hanni it was.

“Yes,” Hanni said bemused by the coincidence. “Can I help you?”

The puppy startled and didn't even bother to respond before darting into the nearest open box.

Hanni sat down and waited to see if the puppy would re-emerge, but he did not. How rude! Well, to the pound with him too.

He was just about to leave the mongrel to his fate when the first peel of thunder rolled across the sky. It was a low, aggressive rumble that rattled the wrought iron fire escapes in their brackets. Sometimes Hanni's reflexes were faster than his logic, and that is how he found himself seeking shelter in the same box as his quarrelsome companion.

The puppy shouldered him in the side trying to force him out of their box, but the nasty creature was more fluff than brawn. Hanni plopped down on his haunches and stiffened his shoulders into thick, rounded blades lest the puppy try again. “Stop that. There is enough room for the both of us!”

“Go away,” the dog said in a voice much too low and mature to belong to a puppy. That surprised Hanni though logically he knew it should not. Dogs were strange creatures and they came in too many sizes and shapes to feel comfortable around. Cats were more honest. One never mistook a kitten for a full-grown adult cat.

“I'm not any happier about this than you are,” Hanni said as the first raindrops splattered onto the concrete. “Let us conduct ourselves as adults. Heaven forbid we should become friendly.”

“That might require me to be sociable,” the dog said, but at least he had ceased his shoving.

“I am Hannibal, but you may call me Hanni. What is your name?”

“Will,” the dog said curtly.

Hanni scrunched his nose. Another Will? What a strange twist this story had taken, coincidence piled on top of coincidence. “That will not do. I already have a Will. I shall call you, William instead.”

“My name is Will,” the dog snapped. Actually snapped! _The nerve of the wretched thing!_ But Hanni flinched involuntarily. Dogs still had teeth, even if they did all look like mongrels.

“Will or William—it matters not—what are you doing crying in an alley? Are you hurt? Lost?”

Will looked at Hanni with big, bright eyes and whined. “It wasn't my fault. I didn't want to run away. It just happened!”

“What are you talking about, William?”

Will laid down and rested his head on his front paws. “I sleepwalk sometimes. I didn't mean to run away! It was an accident! And now I'm lost. Lost! Oh, what if he never finds me!? What if I make him sad? He’s so good to me. I can't disappointment him. I can’t break his heart.”

“Who?”

“Hannibal, my human.”

Lightning flashed overhead for dramatic effect and made Hanni’s white fur shine like starlight for a brief second. Will jumped and pressed himself into the corner of the box, which had begun to leak. “Stop that. You’ll get wet,” Hanni scolded.

“I don’t like storms.”

Mischa hadn't either, and there was something similar about this dog’s blue eyes that reminded him of hers. “Then come here and lay beside me. It is warmer and dryer, and I promise you'll feel better.”

William hesitated, but when the next thunder clap arrived, he dove into Hanni's side with a bruising force.

“Ooof!” Hanni grunted.

William was too distressed to offer an apology (or too rude) but Hanni bore it with truly commendable forbearance. Mischa had become nonverbal too when her anxiety grew to certain levels.

_Mischa._

It wasn't often that Hanni could think of her without pain, but today was different. Today he could only remember the best times. Her sweet mewing. Her warm nose. Her generosity. Was this William’s doing?

Hanni began to purr thinking of his beloved sister, and in due time, William relaxed and drifted into sleep.

When the rain stopped, Hanni roused his companion with a nudge.

“Come along, William. You will come home with me and my human will help us find your Hannibal,”

William didn't move. His nerves seemed to have subsided with the rain so that wasn’t the issue. The indifferent turn of his nose and narrowed gaze suggested genuine, old-fashioned mistrust—as if he couldn't conceive of good natured altruism.

As a fellow misanthrope, Hanni could relate. Until Will literally walked into his life, Hanni hadn't needed anyone in it other than Mischa. This dog, William, was the same sort of creature.

_He is as alone as I was; how sad. I wonder what his human is like. Probably nothing like Will._

Through Will, Hanni had learned how to be civil and decent to others even if in his heart he felt otherwise. Inconvenient as compassion was, good things _sometimes_ came from it. For instance, if Will had chosen to walk on by those ruffians who were tormenting him on the day that Mischa had died, Hanni might never have come to live with him. Compassion had saved his life. Maybe he could do the same for this kindred spirit.

“Are you coming?” Hanni snapped. His patience was not guaranteed. “We cannot be sure the rain is gone for good and I will NOT be caught outside in it a second time.”

“Where else would I go?” Will answered with a sigh and fell into step behind Hanni.

….

It was not the present Hanni had hoped to bring home, and Will had clearly worked all night on his latest manuscript. Hanni hoped he would not be too disappointed with the lack of hearts. He had abandoned his hunt after meeting William.

Getting Will’s attention took a bit of doing, but eventually, Hanni made Will understand he had something to show him on the front porch.

Will seemed delighted by their surprise houseguest and whisked him up in his arms. Hanni did his best not to feel jealous, but when his best was not good enough, he removed himself to his favorite spot by the window to sulk.

A phone call was made and William was given a large fluffy blanket to curl up on, plus two slices of sandwich meat to eat.

“Do you think he’s coming?” William asked anxiously from his spot on the floor.

“Of course he’s coming. _My Will_ will take care of it. He can take anything!” Hanni said proudly.

“He seems nice.”

Hanni didn’t agree and said as much with a glare. _“Nice”_ was for fresh tuna, sunny afternoons, and naps on Will’s chest. Will was so much more than _“nice”_ and it annoyed Hanni that William did not see that. And yet Hanni, for some reason, did not enjoy feeling cross towards William, so he reasoned that the error was a result of the dog’s limited vocabulary instead. Hanni doubted that William’s human was in possession of as many fine books as Will, and he could hardly hold that against the poor creature. As a very famous author, Will had all sorts of wonderful books, and Hanni had read all of them. Even that _Twilight_ nonsense.

“He is very nice and much more,” Hanni replied and laid down to nap.

A few hours later, the doorbell rang and all hell broke loose. One moment, Hanni was dreaming of a large, fat squirrel dinner, and the next he was jarred awake by William’s jubilant barking.

Will plucked the small dog from the floor before opening the door. “Hi there! I believe this is your...oh my god, it’s you!” Will squeaked. “I read his tag....I just didn't think...Christ, you’re **_that_** Hannibal Lecter.”

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Thank you for finding my dog. I hope he was not too much trouble.  He suffers from some separation anxiety when I am not around, which I regret is rather often due to my shooting schedule.”

Hanni opened one eye, curious about the heavily accented voice on the other side of the door. _Hannibal Lecter._ The name sounded familiar although Hanni couldn't place it automatically.

“He was a perfect angel. Would...ah...would you like to come in? For coffee? I'm not some creepy stalker, I swear! I just thought you’d like to warm up. You’re soaked. I’m Will by the way.”

The man on the other side of the door chuckled.  “Will? Now that is a coincidence.”

“Gets worse I’m afraid,” Will said and opened the door wide enough to allow Hanni a good look at their latest house guest. “That’s my cat, _Hannibal,_ but I call him Hanni.”

Now that Hanni could see the stranger, he recognized him as that actor Will loved so much.

“It seems fate and circumstance have brought us together. I will gladly accept your offer.”

The two humans withdrew to the kitchen with William trailing at his master’s heels excitedly. Hanni joined the trio briefly, but when no one seemed interested in paying any attention to him, he returned to his window to sulk some more. So much for being a hero.

Hannibal stayed long enough to have several cups of coffee, and before leaving, promised to call on Will again when his schedule allowed.

Hanni watched forlornly as William followed his human out the door without even saying goodbye.

“Well they seemed nice,” Will said and came to scratch HannI behind his ears.

 _You’re nice,_ Hanni said to himself and nosed at Will’s hand smearing his scent all over his human. _You’re nice and I don't need anyone else but you._

But from the way that Will stared wistfully at the empty driveway, Hanni suspected that his human did not feel exactly the same.

 


	2. One Will, Two Will, My Will, Shoo, Will!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Troubled times have come to the Graham-Hanni household...or have they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Are you ready for some feels with this crack? Cause there are going to be some feels!
> 
> Also, wanted to mention that kkachi deserves all the credit for the backstory of these characters. Making Will and Hannibal and a famous author and actor was amazing! It's been a thrill to bring these four to life.

Hannibal Lecter had become something of a fixture around the Graham-Hanni household as had his dog “Will” whom Hanni persisted in calling William to the small dog’s unending consternation.

“That is NOT my name,” William growled at Hanni who sat preening on top of a very large stack of books.

“We’ve been over this a hundred times. I am NOT calling you “Will.” I have one of those already. Besides which, think about how confusing it would be if there were two of you. Now stop barking and be reasonable.”

But William in complete disregard for good sense and propriety continued to yap his head off. When that did not produce the desired apology or compromise, he launched himself at the stack of books Hanni was perched upon. The stack began to sway but before it could fall, Hanni— _being as graceful and agile as he was _ —leapt clear on it and landed on the sofa where William dared not go— _ being as obedient and law-abiding as he was. _

The books fell and scattered across the floor in a chorus of loud thumps. Hanni frowned. Will would not be pleased when he discovered the mess; however, at present, Will was occupied making loud thumps of his own with Hannibal in the bedroom.

“Now look at what  _ you _ did!” Hanni scolded having already resolved that he would frame the dog.

“Me!? You started it,” William growled up at him. 

Hanni met William’s anger with a gaze full of self-satisfaction and superior pride. “I don't make a habit of knocking over books. Will knows that, so whom do you think he’ll believe.”

William winced and dropped his case. “Good point,” he said sadly and retreated to the hearth where he lay down in front of the fire. "I hope he won't hate me forever." 

Hanni waited until he thought Will might be asleep before he abandoned the high ground. He landed on the floor with an elegant pounce beside an open copy of  _ The Ground Beneath Her Feet  _ and began to read.

He had lied when he said he did not knock books over. He did so all the time when he wanted to read them. William was surprisingly well-read himself. It seemed Hannibal had a fairly large collection too by all accounts, although Hanni was sure it could not be nearly as fine as Will’s was; famous author that he was. William preferred practical titles over fiction and had no love for the works of Dante, Virgil or Milton, but when it came to matters of philosophy and science, he was quick-witted and a stimulating adversary in debate. Hanni had come to enjoy their sorties most ardently.

But tonight, Hanni found it difficult to focus, and this too was William's fault. Hanni’s squirrelous companion had entered a fitful state of sleep and whined pitifully on the hardwood floor. It was distracting and annoying, finally Hanni could stand it no longer.

“Wake up,” he ordered and walked over to William’s side, “Ormus has just found Vina again and you are being a nuisance.”

But William did not wake up and instead whined louder as if he were pain.

The sound affected Hanni in ways he had not anticipated. It reached into his chest and coiled around the part of his heart that had been reserved for the blood of his blood—his little Mischa—and locked away when his only family was taken from him through cruelty.

“Wake up,” he said more gently, but still, William would not listen.

“Obstinate mongrel, I am only trying to help.”

The room was silent save for the crackling flame, the whining dog, and the steady thump-thump-thump emanating from the master bedroom. 

Hanni sighed and fetched a pillow from the couch. He pushed it over to William’s side hoping to at least provide some comfort, while William battled his foes. Then he nudged and poked at the sleeping dog until by happenstance, William rolled onto the pillow.

He seemed to sleep more soundly after that so Hanni fetched a blanket too.

Exhausted now by all the physical labor, Hanni retreated to his own bed, which sat on a low bookshelf in view of the fire. He curled up and with one eye open, watched the firelight dance across William’s chestnut curls before finally succumbing to sleep.


	3. Sweet Dreams Are Not Made of Your Bullshit, William

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William's nightmares have started keeping Hanni up at night, and that will not do! A cat as dapper and fine as Hanni needs his beauty rest after all. Can a solution be found?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, I just wanted to thank everyone for all their lovely comments! I'm so sorry I haven't responded yet! Been busy with work and RDC preparations. Hope to see some of you at the con! So just a short little update today. 
> 
> Beta'ed by @wolftrapqueen27.

“Why are we doing this?” William asked...AGAIN. 

“You will sleep better! Trust me!” Why must he always be so difficult!? Hanni was only trying to be nice (even if it did suit his own interests as well). Will's nightmares were starting to affect his sleep too, and Hanni was convinced that it was ruining the shine of his coat.  “The bed will be much more comfortable than the floor,” Hanni explained. “Now get in.”

William sniffed the bed and stuck one paw inside but quickly withdrew it. “It’s so soft!”

“It is indeed. Made of the finest velvet.”  Hanni said with a proud tilt of his head. Will had bought it for him on his last birthday, and oh, how he adored it! The bed was a soft and rich royal purple that complimented his white fur  _ purr- _ fectly. 

“But it's so small. We won't fit, Hanni.”

_'Small!'_ How rude! The absolute nerve of this animal! Hanni was only trying to be polite and a good host! But Hanni deserved nothing else. This is what one got for being a Good Samaritan. Curse his own tender heart.

He hopped in and scooched over making a space for William. “You are quite small yourself. Now. Get. In.”

William did as he was bade, shockingly, and settled in beside Hanni. “Well...thank you, I guess,” he said and promptly closed his eyes.  

Hanni lay down in kind, annoyed to find that William was right. It was a  _ very  _ tight fit and he had to curl himself around the small dog's body, spooning him against his chest just to make it work.

Still, cramped as it was, it was nice to feel the steady thrumming of William’s heartbeat against his chest. And William was  _ warm _ , so very warm. Hanni stuck his cold nose into the scruff of William's neck, sheltering his vulnerable bits from the cold winds that blew through the poorly insulated siding of Will’s vintage home.

Soon Hanni was asleep, dreaming of expensive tuna and stacks of vellum paper. But this peace was not to last. All too soon, William’s nightmares returned, and Hanni woke with a foot in his face.

“Stop that,” he hissed, but William thrashed on.

After a shot to the groin and another foot to his face, Hannibal fled for his life.

“Will you please wake up?! William! WILL!” he shouted, desperate enough to try anything to wake his prickly companion.

But William slept on. He was quieter now than a moment ago, but Hanni dared not risk a repeat by crawling back into bed with him. And so he retreated to a place on the floor near the fire, where it would be warm enough to spend the night, although his pristine, white coat would be soot-stained by morning.

_ The things we do for friendship,  _ he mourned and startled himself with the realization that for the first time in his life, he had a friend. The knowledge made giving up his warm bed a little easier—but only a little. Sacrifice was never easy to accept. It was inconvenient at best, and heartrending at its very worst. But sacrifice was an inescapable fact of life, be ye man or beast. And sometimes, not often, the rewards were richer than the pain. Hanni looked over his shoulder at the sleeping dog and wondered which one William would turn out to be. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If you would like to help boost the signal, here are the links to [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Red5WritingBy/status/963925151216820224) and [Tumblr.](http://redfivewritingby.tumblr.com/post/170886439902/identically-adorable-chp-3-sweet-dreams-are-not)


	4. At Least Someone Appreciates Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanni gives William a rare gift, but what artist is ever truly appreciated in his lifetime?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for your patience while I was away and recovering from the flu. Please enjoy the next installment!
> 
> Beta'ed by @wolftrapqueen27.

“Don’t look now, love, but I believe your cat has done it again.” Hannibal's voice was soft and mild betraying only a hint of the amusement he concealed in his breast.

“What? Oh, God...Hannibal!!!” Will shouted from the kitchen. 

It was his tone of voice that informed Hanni that Will was not referring to his boyfriend this time, the famous actor Hannibal Lecter, however Hanni felt disinclined to surrender himself to his human for punishment at this precise moment.  He was exhausted, absolutely wrecked, and as usual it was William’s fault. Wretched beast.  Hanni had stayed out all night hunting for livers because he was convinced that William’s sleep issues were the result of a severe iron deficiency. If William chose to be fussy about the feast Hanni had laid out in his dog bowl this morning, that was his decision. But Hanni had tried his best! And now he was spent and looking forward to a long and well-earned nap in the sunlight when his human's yowling interrupted his sleep. 

“I’m sorry, Hannibal, I don't know why he's torturing your dog like this. I thought they were starting to get along.”

Torturing? TORTURING!?! Well that did it. Hanni forced himself to his feet and stretched out the aches and cramps that had settled into his joints overnight. Then, he walked into the kitchen to glare at the two humans for their lack of understanding and vision. Procuring five choice cuts from two mice, a pigeon, a sparrow, and even a large, fat squirrel was hardly torture! It was a present! A delicacy! A WORK OF ART! Really, for all of his many literary awards, Will possessed an appalling lack of aptitude for the fine arts. 

“I don't think that was his intention, Will.” Hannibal said and scooped Hanni up in his arms. “You gave my Will a rare gift. Didn't you, Hanni? But he didn’t want it.”

Hanni meowed pitifully. At least someone in this household understood him. 

“What amazes me is how cleanly he kills,” Hannibal said, “and this arrangement, it’s practically a Picasso,” 

Will looked unamused and grimaced down at the tableau of organs at his feet. “Don't encourage him. You’ll find a murder tableau of your own erected in your shoe tomorrow.”

Hanni hissed at the callous ribbing. Hannibal should be so lucky! Could no one see how much effort he'd put into this dish?

Hannibal gasped congenially. “I would be fortunate indeed to be so honored by an artist of such high caliber!”

This made Hanni feel a little better.  To show his appreciation and approval, Hanni nuzzled the side of Hannibal’s smooth cheek and marked him with his scent. His aftershave, Hanni noted, was much more pleasant than that awful dreck Will splashed onto his face most mornings. Say one thing about Hannibal Lecter, he was utterly charming and put forth an impeccable presentation even if he and Will planned to merely linger around the house all day. Hanni understood why Will found him so attractive, and so he had not yet shredded any of Hannibal's fine socks although he dearly wished to run his claws through such rich fabric. 

Hannibal accepted the attention and did not try to return his affection by scratching back against the grain of Hanni's fur like most dog owners did. For a human, he was remarkably well-mannered and intuitive, but Hanni supposed that was only logical. Will would not have fallen in love with anyone but the best.

While this transpired, William, looking as guilty as the day is long (as well he should), bent down and tried to eat a piece of liver. The organ came right back up; however, and William dove headfirst into his water bowl complaining of the taste between mouthfuls.

This forced Hanni to sink into an even deeper melancholy. He draped himself over Hannibal’s shoulder so he did not have to watch Will toss all his hard work into the trash. Why was this so hard? He wished he had never found William in that damp alley. Friendship hurt. 

“It’s okay, boy,” Hannibal whispered to him and patted his back. “I know you tried. Be patient with my Will. He'll come around in time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are the links to [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Red5WritingBy/status/969697177378451456) and [Tumblr](http://redfivewritingby.tumblr.com/post/171461454607/identically-adorable-chp-4-at-least-someone). Thanks for reading!


	5. My House, My Rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal has a surprise for Will and Hanni, but not everyone is happy about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'ed by @wolftrapqueen27.

As the long months passed, Hanni and his newly acquired family members eventually found something like a rhythm. Even William was beginning to warm to the situation now that Hanni had found a new and appreciative audience to perform for, in Hannibal.

Plus, William now allowed such intimacies as daytime naps in a much larger bed when his nightmares were less vivid and the occasional tongue bath, although he had little choice in the latter. It had come to a head one day after William had tracked mud all over the Persian rug Will had inherited from his mother. It was like a crime scene in the living room and William’s dirty paw prints were all over it.

Now, on rainy days, Hanni prepared for the inevitable. As was his custom now, he lay in wait beside some object large enough to hide behind—the umbrella stand, the magazine rack, Will’s large work boots, or sometimes Hannibal’s briefcase, should he leave it behind.

Hanni heard Hannibal’s delicate footsteps on the porch, and dropped even lower to the ground as the door began to open. William shot through the opening like a bottle rocket, anticipating Hanni’s intentions, but it was no use. Hanni was faster. He sprang off the floor and tackled Will to the ground.  There was a brief tussle involving some snapping and hissing, but in the end, Hanni stood victorious over his pinned and submissive prey.

Hannibal chuckled. “Better luck next time, Will,” he said understanding that these fights were only a form of play between them and not meant with any serious malice.

“Okay, okay, you win again,” William sighed.

 “Indeed I did, and now I’ll take my reward, thank you very much,” he said and let William sit up.

“It’s not even raining," Will grumbled.

“It rained an hour ago. The ground cannot possibly be dry yet. Now, your paw please.”

Will raised his paws one after another allowing Hannibal to lick him clean. Sometimes that was enough, but today, Hanni felt inclined to give William a full and complete lashing. He and Hannibal had been away for some time, on location for Hannibal’s latest movie, and Hanni had missed them both terribly.

“Are you done yet?” 

“Not yet. Hush.” But the  truth was that Hanni had finished five minutes ago and was merely being fussy over aesthetics. He was trying his best to comb William’s wild curls to the side, but they would not cooperate. It was a shame because William had lovely eyes, although you would never know it.

William’s patience gave out not long after. 

“Okay, okay already! I think you’re done,” he said and scurried out of reach. 

To Hanni’s immeasurable dismay, William immediately flopped onto his back and rolled around on the carpet until his hair was thoroughly mussed again.

“Much better,” he sighed, oblivious to the hurt it caused Hanni. 

“Well...there you go. You’re welcome, I guess,” Hanni groussed.

William cocked his head to the side sensing that something was wrong. “Are you okay? You sound funny.”

“Fine,” Hanni said and leaped onto a window sill, turning his back on the ungrateful animal. “I have a headache…because of the weather.”

“That’s...not good," William said but the pause suggested he hadn't completely bought the lie. 

“Eloquent as always, William. Could you perhaps take your yapping elsewhere? I’d like to nap,” Hanni said staring at his reflection against the background of a grey and dreary day, as dreary as the day he and William had first met. 

The patter of William’s little feet against the hardwood was the only response William offered as he retreated, and the silence cut worse than the initial insult. 

Hanni mewed pitifully when he thought he was alone, but Will had just walked in through the mudroom and caught him crying.

“Hanni, what’s wrong?” Will said plucking Hanni from his perch and gathering him up in his arms like an infant.

Piqued at his human for inviting these two disastrous forces into their calm and ordered lives, Hanni squirmed trying to free himself, but Will found his favorite spot beneath his chin and began to scratch. Hanni settled and cheered up, happy to be at the center of Will’s warm embrace and attention again.

Will carried him into the living room and sat down beside Hannibal who was reading on the sofa.

“He looks quite happy,” Hannibal observed.

Will leaned against his boyfriend’s shoulder and smiled. “Yes, we both are.”

“I'm glad to hear it,” Hannibal said and slid his arm around Will’s shoulder. “Have you made a decision about that thing we discussed before I left?”

Hanni’s ears perked up. He didn't like the sound of this.

“I did,” Will said and paused for dramatic effect. “Let’s do it.”

The tension in Hannibal’s body deflated with those three words. “Excellent. I'll call the movers in the morning.”

Hanni lifted his head up and hissed at both men clawed his way free and ran from the room.  _ MOVERS!?! OF ALL THE NERVE!!! THIS IS MY HOME! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Here are the links to [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Red5WritingBy/status/971458537971965954) and [Tumblr](http://redfivewritingby.tumblr.com/post/171631273247/identically-adorable-chp-5-my-house-myrules) if you'd like to tell others about this fic.


	6. Moving Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dreaded moving day arrives. Will Hanni accept his fate, or will Will, William, and Hannibal have to move on without him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter to go! Oh noes! But I feel confident you'll enjoy the last two chapters. I even have a surprise for you next week that not even my beta @wolftrapqueen27 knows about! ;-)

Disaster. This was an unmitigated disaster. Why would Will do this to him!?!

But Hanni knew why. This was all Hannibal's fault, all of it! That flouncy wretch...

Whatever happened to cats before prats? But Hanni would fix him the next time he fell asleep on the sofa adding a couple more scars to that nose of his, and Will too would face the sharp end of his claws sooner rather than later. Human's were a fickle, underhanded species, but at least they were soft and slow. He'd soon show them how well he hunted. The price of their betrayal would be paid in blood assuming he survived this day.

All morning, Hanni's had sat on various high perches shrieking and swiping at any human that came within striking distance. Will had yelled at him repeatedly, which only hardened Hanni's determination to as difficult as possible.  And why shouldn't he? His entire world had been upended because of Will. All his happy memories and beautiful things were being stripped from him box by box and tossed into a truck that looked plague ridden. He was not leaving without a fight.

**_Moving day had arrived._ **

When Will's patience finally gave out, he tried to corraling Hanni into the little crate he used for trips to the vet, but Hanni was having none of it. He might not be able to stop this tectonic shift of cataclysmic proportions from ruining his life, but he refused to be moved from his home a minute before his time. Someone needed to bear witness to this travesty, someone rational since only an irrational mind like Will's would have ever agreed to anything as stupid as this! Moving in. With Hannibal? Phaaa! Please. Human companionship was vastly over-rated in his estimation.

Hannibal and William arrived before lunch to help and soothe both Will and Hanni’s nerves.

“Relax, Will, it will be fine. The animals will settle once we are home. Now come here and let me bandage you up before you bleed out in the kitchen,” Hannibal said, referring to the deep scratches Hanni had left across Will’s forearms and face.

“We are home. I think that's the problem. It’s the only home we’ve ever known, and I don't blame him for being upset. I'm a little upset myself.” Will said and looked at a stack of boxes with sad grey eyes, which only made Hanni angrier. He was either a liar of a hypocrite, neither of which could Hanni stomach. If he was sad they shouldn’t be going, and that was that.

“We will make a new home together,” Hannibal said and kissed Will’s forehead. “All four of us.”

Hanni hissed at both men. Morons! The pair of them were total morons! Why couldn’t they have just left everything alone? Things hadn’t been perfect before, but now they were ruined! And Hanni would never get the stink of other humans out of their belongings!

There were six men in total, and they were a foul-tempered, dreadful lot. Not one of them had a kind word to say, and all had yelled or swatted at him several times today. They were exactly like those brutes who’d found him and Mischa as kittens, only older and bigger, and it hurt Hanni to even be in the same room with them. They brought disorder wherever they trespassed and unpacked memories Hanni thought he’d dealt with long ago—memories of Mischa and the day she’d died.

Hanni could remember everything about that day except for the part in the middle where he had lost consciousness. He had been pelted with rocks while protecting his little sister and woken up here in Will’s home in a cardboard box surrounded by blankets. But Mischa was already gone...

“Get out of my way, cat!” a mover shouted and tried to shoo him off a box.

Hanni hissed and swiped at the man with his claws. He landed a good blow, tearing through the man’s skin cleanly.

The ghastly man yelled and picked up a nearby book. Hanni was already in motion when he threw it and barely escaped being struck.

 _How dare he! How dare!_ Hanni screeched. It was like kittenhood all over gain. Humans were all the same. They all betrayed you in the end. Even Will.

It wasn’t fair! It just wasn’t fair! Why did he always have to suffer!?! Where was **_HIS_** protector now that Hannibal had stolen Will from him? Why did he always end up alone...

The mover called for one of his buddies and asked him to bring the crate. “Todd, your sister’s got a cat right? Help me get this he-devil into the box."

The two men backed Hanni into a corner. He snarled defiantly at them, but internally his confidence began to quake. Hanni had the heart of a lion, but not the frame, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was going to end up recuperating in another cardboard box from injury if he woke up at all.

“Here kitty, kitty, kitty,” the man named Todd said condescendingly. “Get in the box like a good kitty.”

Something brown and fluffy darted into the room, through Todd’s legs, and placed itself in front of Hanni protectively. It took a moment for Hanni to register that the chocolate lighting bolt was William barking like a dog three times his size in order to chase the men back.

Todd threw up his hands and backed off. “I give up man. Let’s just finish up this room and be done with it.”

“Ugh, fucking animals,” the other man said. “We better be getting a good tip for this bullshit.”

When the men were gone, William whirled towards Hanni. “Are you okay?” he asked Hanni checking him over with an unexpected tongue bath.

“Uh? What? I? Fine?” Dumbfounded by the surprise rescue, Hanni stuttered over his words with the grace of a bulldog before finally recovering a full minute later. “Yes! Ugh, I'm fine! Get off me!” He shouted when he came back into himself.

William stopped licking him but did not draw back. “I got scared. I thought they were going to hurt you.”

“That makes two of us,” Hanni begrudgingly admitted. He looked down at his paws feeling uncharacteristically quiet and vulnerable. “Thank you...for rescuing me,” he said at last.

“Of course!” William chirped and bounced on his hind legs like a clown at a circus. “What are friends for?”

Hanni blinked and twitched his whiskers. He could not possibly have heard correctly. “What did you say?”

“Um...'what are friends for?' Geez, are you sure you’re okay? You didn't hit your head or anything, did you?”

“We’re friends? I thought you hated me,” Hanni countered.

William rolled his eyes. “Of course we’re friends, stupid. You’re the only cat I’d try to eat a squirrel liver for.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Hanni admitted. He had always thought their friendship was one-sided, but the wag in William’s tail and shine in his eyes suggested otherwise. Maybe living with William and Hannibal wouldn’t be so lonely after all.

“Don’t say anything; I beg you. Let me enjoy the moment. I may never experience it again, Mr. Opinionated,” William teased and licked Hanni’s cheek to show that he was only kidding.

“Stop that!” Hanni said having had his fill of dog breath for one day.

“It’s annoying, ain’t it?” William said enjoying a little recipriciocity at Hanni’s expense.

“Only when you do it!” Hanni argued back. “You smell like tree bark.”

“Only tree bark? I thought your sense of smell was supposed to be good, cat, but maybe that’s for the best” William winked with malicious intent. "Hannibal keeps several horses on his property."

It took a moment for William's words to sink in, and when it did, Hanni's fur rose in horror. “God in Heaven! You are disgusting!” Hanni shouted and immediately began cleaning himself. If William was implying what he thought he was, Hanni would need to shave himself bare if he ever hoped to be clean again.

Will and Hannibal walked into the room, hand in hand and looking melancholy.

“Hey, are you two ready to go?  Hannibal’s going to drive us so you don’t have to sit in the crate, Hanni. What do you say, boy? Will you give this a chance?” Will said kneeling down with open arms.

Hanni sat and glared at Will letting him stew a little in his own juices before leaping into his human’s arms when Will's eyes grew wet. He still wasn’t happy about the move, but he had resigned himself to the fact that he didn’t have any choice in the matter. At least this way, he wouldn’t have to ride in the crate. He always got carsick in the crate, and he’d be humiliated if he puked in front of William.

“It’ll be okay, Hanni! You’ll see!” William barked.

Hanni said nothing and buried his face in the collar of Will’s plaid shirt. It was not going to be okay, but maybe, with luck, it wouldn't be the end of the world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Here are the links to [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Red5WritingBy/status/972193690897797122) and [Tumblr](http://redfivewritingby.tumblr.com/post/171699108237/identically-adorable-chp-6-moving-day-by) if you would like to tell others about this fic.


	7. Epilogue: Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanni settles into his new home...or tries to anyway. But Hannibal's mansion is large and cold, and Hanni misses home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! I hope you enjoy. :-) 
> 
> Thank you, kkachi for creating these adorable characters and allowing me to write this piece for you. I had a blast. Thank you wolftrapqueen27 for betaing this work for me. I hope you like the surprise ending I hid from you as a lark. ;-) And thank you everyone for reading, commenting, and supporting this series! Your delight has meant the world to me.

That night, Hanni found himself roaming the halls of his new home feeling lost and sad.

Rich as his tastes were, Hannibal’s house was large and cold and hardly a place where Hanni would have considered spending the rest of his life. There was too much open space and not enough soft places for naps. The entire bottom floor was wall-to-wall Italian marble and starkly furnished with crisp, modern furniture. Hanni didn’t see how either he or Will could be comfortable in a place like this, but he’d say one thing for it; there was room to change.

Already, the boxes of Will’s belongings were bringing a homey sense of clutter to the expensive mansion. Maybe in time, it wouldn’t seem like such an alien world, but in the interim, the situation was vastly uncomfortable.

Try as he might, he couldn’t sleep. His bed still smelled like those insufferable humans who had packed it up, and it would be days before he could sleep in it again. The leather couches in all three living rooms made too much noise to sleep on, and he couldn’t find a laundry hamper to save his life.  Nor could he find a way out of the house at all. Hunting might have improved his mood or at least exhausted him to the point that the couch seemed like a less terrible option, but all the windows were locked tight for the night. The house felt like a prison, a fancy prison with its white furniture and gold accents, but a prison all the same.

It was official; he hated it here.

After clawing up a few drapes for the fun of it and knocking over the champagne flutes Will and Hannibal had mistakenly left in the dining room, he continued his tour of the house pressing deeper into the labyrinthian maze.

Hanni just wanted to find a place to sleep, and he felt he’d earned that after a day like today. It really was unfair of Will and Hannibal to lock him out of the bedroom on their first night. He understood that they wanted to celebrate, but he was tired too! There must be someplace warm and soft in all these rooms.

It was a quarter to midnight when Hanni spotted the curious green light at the end of one of the hallways. He walked towards it to investigate feeling anxious but strangely hopeful. The door was left open a crack, just large enough to let a cat or a very small dog slip through. Inside, Hanni found a marvelous sight.

Rows and rows of bookshelves lined an entire wall illuminated by a small nightlight in the corner of the room. And where there were no bookshelves, three marvelous oil paintings hung depicting the Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradisio of Dante’s _Divine Comedy._ They were breathtaking works of art even in such poor lighting. Tomorrow morning, this would be his first stop of the day.

“I was wondering when you’d find the library,” a small but deep voice said as Will slipped out from underneath the desk where he had been hiding.

“It’s beautiful,” Hanni was forced to admit—as grande as Will’s collection at...home.

“I’m glad you like it!” Will barked then noticed Hanni’s head drooping wearily. “You look tired. Trouble sleeping?”

Hanni nodded.

“Then follow me and allow me to return a favor,” Will instructed and ducked underneath the desk again.

Hanni followed and found Will sitting on top of a large plush bed that sat beside Hannibal’s desk chair. It was comically too large for him, more appropriate for a golden retriever, but Hannibal Lecter seemed to enjoy spoiling those closest to him. “Your bed?” Hanni asked.

“One of them, and my favorite to be honest. Plus, it’s definitely big enough for both of us!”

Hanni didn’t feel like ending up with another paw in his mouth, but he was too tired to argue. With luck, he was tired enough to sleep through William’s nightmares. He pulled himself onto the pillow and collapsed as soon as he got there.

It wasn’t **_HIS_** bed, but it did feel good, and Will’s scent was not nearly as obnoxious as he’d feared it would be.

“Thank you,” Hanni purred. “I could sleep for a year in this bed.”

“Good,” William said and bedded down right next to Hanni although there was plenty of room and he did not have to lie so close. “I really appreciated it when you tried to help me with my nightmares. I never said thank you...but, thank you.

"A good night's sleep will be tanks enough. Do you think you can manage? Won't your nightmares--,"

William cut him off with an annoyed growl and a shake of this floppy ears. "Don’t worry. I sleep better when I’m at home. It’s only when we travel that I have trouble.”

Hanni was too tired to fight or argue, and it did feel good to have William’s warm body nuzzled up beside him. “I’m sorry, William, I don’t think I can keep my eyes open much longer. How awfully rude of me,” he said as he began to drift off to sleep.

William chuckled and licked his cheek. “Goodnight, Hanni.”

“Goodnight...William,” he said barely able to speak the words aloud.

“Hey, Hanni?” William said and paused until Hanni acknowledged him with a grunt. “I’m really glad you’re here.”

…

Hannibal closed the copy of Petrarch’s _Canzoniere_ , which he had been pretending to read from, and laid it down, balancing it on his knee. He looked down at the small creature asleep in his arms and smiled. Chocolate brown curls obscured her sleeping face, but he could tell the soft smacking sound in the air that she was sucking on her thumb again. Her hair had knotted at the base of her neck and would be beastly to comb through in the morning, but that was a problem for another day. Putting Magdalena down for bed was challenging enough without the mutual hair pulling.

Magdalena, little Magdalena, his daughter...

How strange his life had become since the Fall. He had never thought he would be a father again after Abigail. Never thought Will would trust him enough to allow it or want this life for a child. But fate and circumstances had once again brought another teacup back together that ought to have been irreparably shattered.

He tried to pull her thumb from her mouth, but she stirred and bit down harder. Worried he’d wake her, Hannibal let her continue to gnaw on herself and chuckled at the irony.  “Sleep dreams, my stubborn little cannibal,” he whispered and kissed the top of her head.

He had not wanted this originally for himself and Will in their new lives together, but poor planning had circumvented his designs. It had happened during a hunt, the first and last he had let Will plan from start to finish. Somehow the FBI’s top agent had failed to realize that there was a child involved when selecting his victim until the father was dead at their feet—a mistaken Hannibal NEVER would have mad himself. 

Will wanted to leave the child in the hands of child services, but Hannibal had had other opinions. He knew Will would come to love the infant as well as any stray, and Hannibal reasoned that a child would be less annoying than a dog since it would in time be able to converse and allow itself to be properly trained. Plus, as he explained to Will, the FBI and Interpol were looking for two middle-aged men, not a family. A child would provide excellent cover. And in a few days time, after an exhaustive investigation into the whereabouts and competency of the girl’s unsavory relatives, Will had come around to the idea.

Hannibal had not anticipated that any serious attachment would develop within him for the girl, at least not for a child so young as Magdalena was.  She was a toddler now and therefore still developing a personality. But the role of “father” (even if he was technically the bad parent) was much more stimulating than he had expected it to be, which he supposed he must thank Abigail for in his dreams. Children were bold and unpredictable, yet easily malleable. Being a parent was a fascinating new medium to work with. And Magdalena set a protective fire alight in Will that Hannibal found deeply alluring and beautiful.

The mess still took some getting used to.

“What were you reading?” A second voice whispered from the doorway.

Hannibal jolted to attention and blushed to have been caught in such a tender and unguarded moment. “How much did you hear?”

“Enough...Hanni,” Will smiled with sour delight and stepped into the room.

Drat! He knew Will would never let him live this down, but Magdalena had left him with little choice! In her infancy, she had been content to fall asleep listening to Italian poetry, but as she had grown in intelligence and understanding, she had since acquired Will’s more annoying obsessions. It was cats and dogs constantly. The villa was littered with plush facsimiles of the awful beasts despite Hannibal’s best efforts to keep the disorder contained.

“Are you going to stand there and continue to mock me or are you going to help put our daughter to bed,” Hannibal growled as quietly as he could.

Still smiling, Will took Magdalena from him and tucked her into bed. “I’m sure Maggie loved it.”

Hannibal winced hearing that dreadful nickname again, which Will and Magdalena seemed to both prefer. “As much as you did I’m sure.”

Will stood up, grabbed him by the belt buckle, and pulled him in for a kiss. “Oh poor, long-suffering, Hanni. How cruel the world is to you.” 

“Indeed. Absolutely wretched.”

It was dark inside Magdalena's room, but there was enough light to still see the visible scars on Will's cheek that pulled when he smiled in a way that Hannibal thought was grotesquely beautiful. Hannibal draped his arms around Will’s waist keeping their hips locked together. He wanted to stand there in silence and appreciate the light in his husband's eyes properly, but Will hadn't had his fill of mischief yet.

“Aren’t you going to ask me what my favorite part was?” he said cloyingly.

Hannibal kissed him deeply to shut him up keeping one eye open to make sure Magdalena was still fast asleep. Eventually, however, even he had to come up for air.

“Well?” Will prompted again.

Hannibal let his hands drop, his head fall back, and sighed. Clearly, Will would not be sated until his curiosity was fed and Hannibal humiliated. “What was your favorite part, **_William_ **?” He asked with unbridled annoyance that caused Magdalena to stir.

The two men froze, fearful that their daughter would wake up and the bedtime routine would have to begin anew. They relaxed only when she rolled over and began sucking on the foot of one of her stuffed animals.

Will slid his arms through Hannibal's and inched even closer until their noses brushed.“I like the part where the humans were causing trouble in the bedroom.”

Hannibal launched and Will to promptly move in for a kiss to hush him.

“You are a very bad dog, ** _William_** ,” Hannibal whispered as he lead Will out of the bedroom and down the hall by the collar of his shirt, “a very bad dog and I think it’s time you learned a lesson about listening in on people’s private conversations.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you'd like to help boost the signal, here are the links to [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Red5WritingBy/status/974765795547938816) and [Tumblr.](http://redfivewritingby.tumblr.com/post/171942891717/completed-identically-adorable-by-redfive)
> 
> If you'd like to read more of my work in a similar vein, allow me to refer you to [Down Where It's Wetter](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10940961) and [The Rise and Fall of Hannibal the Cannibal](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8177515).


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